Lost Beauty
by kodokukarasu
Summary: Events between Taranza and Queen Sectonia before the events of Triple Deluxe. [Gijinka AU]
1. Chapter 1

Hi I am sectaranza trash and I wrote this for a friend of mine.

It's gijinka au too bye

* * *

"Hey Taranza, would you like to take some pictures with me?" a feminine voice called out.

The spider servant wandered along the hallways of Floralia's grand library. It was probably his favorite place to stay in the entire world. He refused to say it, but the only reason why it was so enjoyable was because _she_ was always there. But, there were many great finds when it comes to books as well...

"Of course!"

He walks more quickly, his cape moving along with his form to turn a corner to greet a shorter spider servant. He couldn't help his heart suddenly jumping in his chest at the sight of her, let alone hearing her voice. She looked a bit confused, holding a small camera whilst reading a book. Taranza always found the tiniest of details about her to be absolutely adorable.

"I, um… I'm not sure how it works." Her expression seemed worried to him.

Taranza laughed gently, not to mock her.

"Sectonia, see the button right there? When you press it, you take a picture, or a still image. You can see the picture come out of this little slot right after! It's probably the most unique technology I've seen!"

She rotated the camera and looked closely in awe. Sectonia didn't notice, but Taranza was smiling from ear to ear in glee.

"Let's take one together, shall we?"

Sectonia nodded slowly, and handed the small device to him. He flipped it so the lens was facing them.

"Get ready to smile on one… two… three!"

 _Click!_

The light from the camera startled the shorter servant. "T-That was really bright…"

"You're not supposed to look directly into the light source, it hurts your eyes."

As they waited for the photo to be made, Sectonia noticed their close proximity and smiled.

"Ah, look! It's done!" Taranza cried out in excitement. He pulled a shiny thick paper out of the slot, the size of his hand. At first, Sectonia couldn't see the image that was supposed to be there. Then…

An image of Taranza and Sectonia smiling together appeared. A noise of surprise uttered from Sectonia, amazed how one tiny camera could freeze a moment in time.

"Let's take more, Taranza!"

He didn't have any hatred for her, or any annoyance with her curiousity.

* * *

Their land did not have a ruler. Taranza's and Sectonia's race were that of spiders, but they were typically referred to as spider servants. This was because they had multiple pairs of hands to easily multitask away. Their lives were meant to serve others, but in Floralia, there was nobody to really serve… at all. The amount of inhabitants was low, and many conflicts were not severe. Wars were nonexistent. In fact, Taranza found himself struggling with this odd, aching loneliness before he met Sectonia.

He was the only creature who regularly tended the grand library at will. Nobody else took care of it, and eventually became abandoned before he came along to repair it. When Taranza had appeared, he believed that there was potential to Floralia striving with history. There, he read books about the land much farther below the clouds. The flower citizens began to flock to the library more often, the wrinkled pages finding some use for once. They were discovering a new world to them.

Discovery did not really affect the loneliness he felt. It really only made him feel worse. Taranza never figured out what it was exactly. He was just a spider servant that stumbled across an abandoned building. That's all he really was to himself. Though he wanted to explore the world more, he preferred to stay in Floralia. It was truly home to him.

A few weeks after he had cleaned and dusted off many books, a creature that looked more like his race was spotted in the corner of the library. She sat on a chair that creaked from its lack of use, and came by nearly everyday. On the sides of her head were orange horns more curved to the sides, which was very different from Taranza's that stood straight upwards. Her hair was a pale white and was more thicker. Sectonia was often too buried into the information that she was reading costantly, and never noticed Taranza's curious stares. The way her hair fell past her face as she leaned closer into the book she read was probably his favorite detail about her.

In Taranza's eyes, she was absolutely stunning.

* * *

A few early mornings ago, Sectonia appeared near the doors of the library. Now that it had some visitors, Taranza regularly locked the library for its own safety. So, Sectonia simply had to wait for his arrival.

When he leisurely arrived to the entrance of the building, he was amazed to see her standing patiently near the door. He felt his heart beating out of his chest in embarrassment. " _How awkward to see her here at this hour…"_

"Hello! I think I woke up an hour too early…"

"N-No it's fine! Sorry to make you wait!" he says, proceeding to unlock the door. A polite gesture was shown by holding the door open for her. She smiled and stepped inside.

The library was silent as usual in the morning. Sectonia made her way into her signature area and wandered around the shelves. They were packed with books about the history of Floralia, and even the history about Dreamland, the land below. Carefully pulling a few books out of their spots, she stacked them on her hands.

Taranza felt like a creep.

He watched her expressions change, from blank to bored, to content. She really seemed to enjoy what she was reading.

"Excuse me, um, m-miss…" Taranza called out as he timidly made his way towards her.

She looked up from the current page that she was reading from and looked up. Her silver eyes met with another pair of silver eyes.

"I'm wondering… What are you reading about? S-Sorry, not a lot of people come around here as often as you do. And every time you stop by, you always finish reading everything that you pick out."

Holding a gloved hand to her mouth, she gave her reply a thought. The silence felt as if it was digging into Taranza. What if she was creeped out? What if she was one of those strict kinds of people? Endless thoughts streamed through his head as he worried.

"...Floralia. I don't know much about the history." Her voice was dreamlike and soft, almost a whisper.

Taranza beamed. "Oh, and what is your name?"

"Sectonia. It's nice to meet you."

* * *

The two began to work in the library more often. More people arrived to the library, which was a bit surprising for Taranza.

Together, Taranza and Sectonia organized books and shelves. They dusted and cleaned more empty areas of the large halls. As time went on, they became closer friends. They read together, and learned about new concepts that neither of them knew even living in Floralia for so long. There was a flower citizen at one point who questioned their relationship, since she noticed they were always around each other. Taranza blushed and said they were simply friends, and Sectonia didn't know how to answer.

Though Sectonia is timid, so is Taranza.

He had been thinking of gifts to give her, as a way of saying thanks. She contributed so much to the library and he couldn't be more thankful. The other message that he desperately wanted to get across was that, he _loved_ her.

Spending so much time with her made his adoration for her blossom into a beautiful flower. He never experienced the fluttering feeling of attraction or anything crossing the lines of friendship. But to Taranza, Sectonia was considered something much more than a friend, deep in his heart.

Taranza was still nervous that one day he would tell her, and that she would reject his strong feelings. He refused to and didn't want to ruin their friendship.

So, he locked his feelings away, only letting some affection appear. He never wanted to lose Sectonia, who was his best friend and first love.

* * *

I was originally going to make this a oneshot but I'm just gonna split it into chapters yeah


	2. Chapter 2

It was a rainy day in Floralia.

There were already small puddles of water beginning to form, just from the first gentle shower. As time went on, the dreary weather seemed to worsen. Clouds were bunching together; it was almost as if Kracko was floating around somewhere in the distance. Usually, the skies were clear and blue. It was dark and gloomy from the clouds blocking away the sun from Floralia.

Thunder roared through the land. Everyone was home, or at least, inside a safe and warm shelter with some candlelight.

In the library, it was pitch black. All of the lamps were shut off to prevent the thunder from causing damage. The maroon curtains were spread out to view through the glass window. Inside it was cold; the only heat source being the small flickering candles. It felt relaxing to look out the window, blurry with running water against the surface outside. The thunder wouldn't rest.

Sectonia brought a blanket over with her, which was rather unusual since she only brought along one or two books she borrows and brings back. She didn't want her books to get ruined, so she just brought an umbrella and a blanket. Her blue umbrella was on a rack, drying off the moisture. Meanwhile, she sat near the window and watched the stormy sky by herself.

Pulling the thick cotton blanket over her head, she wrapped its entirety around her body and shivered. The rain really left an impression and especially chilly nights after it was finished with its display. Her hair was a bit damp from being caught up in it for a few minutes. She was waiting for Taranza to arrive, but he never arrived.

Her silver eyes gazed drowsily through the window. Her vision was blurred and distorted droplets running down the window.

"I sure do hope that he has an umbrella with him…"

* * *

By the time Taranza was done grabbing Sectonia's birthday present, he had been caught in the worst part of the storm.

Wind was spinning wildly around him, making his usually neat hair become an absolute mess. The spider boy held onto his coat to prevent it from flying off of his shoulders. Rain completely drenched him. He was close to making it to the library just as he promised to Sectonia before the storm.

He paced a little faster, making it underneath the roof of the library. His white hair was covered in water and it was an uncomfortable and unpleasant feeling. Taranza knew he didn't look the best now, but today was a special day. He couldn't just run away from Sectonia just because he was too embarrassed to express his gratitude towards her. That would give him the horrible impression of being a coward! He absolutely had to make a good impression no matter what.

Breathing in and out, Taranza wrapped his hand around the door handle and pulled it open.

It was much warmer in the interiors of the library considering the rain and the wind causing chaos outside. However, it was considerably dark and the only thing lighting up the entrance and some hallways were candles. He wandered around for a few minutes, not knowing where exactly he was going because of how dark it was inside. He looked in between bookshelves just in case Sectonia was in one of them.

He felt his heart sink, believing for a second that she didn't actually come over today. It did make sense; it was raining a lot outside…

As he made his way around the library, he found the counter that he usually was working in. Underneath the surface of the counter, he had an emergency candle lamp that he used during these type of situations. They weren't often though.

Taranza found a box of matches lying right next to it, and grabbed it. He lit the match and finally with the candle lamp, he could see what was in front of him now.

"Sectonia…? A-Are you there?" he called out into the silence. His voice wasn't very loud though.

He hesitantly walked to the other side of the library, noticing a small figure underneath some fabric. Taranza suddenly tensed up.

"Is that you?" he asked, unsure as he stepped closer.

He pulled away the blanket to reveal Sectonia asleep, her figure shivering without the blanket. She looked so serene and peaceful to Taranza. Her breathing was a slow rhythm. He placed the candle lamp onto the table near the slightly foggy window.

Taranza's face almost became as red as his scarf when he realized what he was doing. He was staring intensely at Sectonia while she slept.

Startled, his sudden movements had awakened Sectonia. She yawned and looked up at Taranza in confusion. Her drowsy nature made her more gentle and kind, though Taranza thought she was always kind to him.

She took the blanket into her hands, and wrapped it around Taranza's neck to pull him uncomfortably close to her face. This action made Taranza gasp in shock, nearly falling on top of her.

"...You didn't have an umbrella, didn't you?" she commented, using the blanket as a towel to dry off his snowy white hair. "It must have been freezing. You should warm up, Taranza."

"Of c-course!" he stuttered, noticing their faces becoming even more close as she rubbed the back of his head with the blanket.

After that (embarrassing) scene, Taranza's eyes wandered to the window. It was still raining, but it had quieted down. There was no more thunder, and it seemed more calm outside. The window was no longer fogged up and wet.

"Let's share the blanket, Taranza."

"O-Okay…"

The large blanket fit perfectly between the two spiders, keeping them huddled close together. Taranza's blush still didn't go away, noticing Sectonia almost falling asleep onto his shoulder. She was still tired, and the rain only seemed to increase her sleepy behavior. Taranza felt extremely calm and felt his heart warm up. He felt as if he was in a floaty dream. Taranza felt his body stiffen up as she sat closer to him, and even found one of his hands to interlace with her own hands.

The drip drop of the rain still continued on. The white haired spider smiled to himself as he trembled a bit with excitement, holding Sectonia's hand with a firm but gentle grip. His heart was beating so fast, and he felt as if his face was radiating with heat.

She had already fallen fast asleep on his shoulder.

* * *

"I did... what?!"

Taranza smirked almost, and he couldn't help it. The memory was now permanently stuck in his mind, and he could replay it whenever he wished.

"You fell asleep on me. After you woke up, you even told me that you waited for me to meet you here. Also, you held my hand and we were under a blanket for a couple of hours."

Her cheeks bloomed into a shameful blush.

"W-Well, I was tired and it was awfully cold even inside the building! You would've said the same, I bet!" she pouted.

He chuckled, watching her become a flustered mess.

"Oh, isn't today your birthday? I got you a present but… you were sleeping for quite a while."

Sectonia blinked and was caught off guard. "Oh, you're right. I don't know how i could've forgotten my own birthday. I guess it's just because I don't really… celebrate it. I'm kind of surprised… you even bothered to get me a gift."

Taranza looked confused. Her expression quickly went from thoughtful, to almost upset by this.

He felt an awkward, forced atmosphere suddenly make its appearance. He couldn't lose to something like awkward silence.

"I have your gift with me right now."

He reached into one of his pockets, rummaging through them for a moment to pull out a small floating hand mirror. It was completely golden, and looked brand new. It sparkled under the lights (since it was safe to turn the lights back on). On the very top of it, sat a crown. The sides had tiny golden wings.

"I used magic to shrink it, since it's a large present… I found it stuck and buried in some clouds."

With a flick of his wrist, the hand mirror suddenly doubled in size. It was way bigger than both of them, and it towered over their figures. Taranza let her admire her gift, beaming with overwhelming pride.

He watched her admire herself in the mirror.

Sectonia saw a rather short girl in the mirror. Her white hair was neatly styled, and yellow horns that turned orange at the tips were at the sides of her head. Up close, she could see her thick eyelashes. A red scarf similar to Taranza's was wrapped around her neck. Her outfit was just like his, but most of it consisted of a shade of purple. The only reflections of herself that she had seen were just glances from a window, or on the surface of the library that had shiny tiles for its flooring. Seeing herself up close and personal felt odd, but very satisfying. It felt like a breath of fresh air.

Something about the mirror pulled her in. It was almost as if there was some type of force attracting her attention. For a moment, she couldn't take her eyes off of her own reflection. It was almost if it was hypnotizing her, even.

"Sectonia, I want you to be happy and satisfied with your looks. Hopefully this mirror will encourage you to feel better!" Taranza noted. If she couldn't see how beautiful she was, Taranza believed that he should absolutely prove her wrong about her questionable attitude towards herself.

She turned to Taranza and smiled. Her eyes felt watery and felt drops of tears fall to the ground.

"Thank you… You have a big heart, you know. Nobody has been so kind to me and always has been my friend…"

Sectonia covered her face in embarrassment and tears. She was crying from happiness.

"H-Hey… Don't cry now…" Taranza replied, stepping forward to pull her hands away from her face gently.

She laughed through her crying and hugged Taranza tightly.

"I'll always keep it from now on!"

* * *

I'm sorry for suddenly not updating for a really long time! Writing is actually really difficult for me, and I often worry if anyone will even like my work... Same thing with art. Sigh.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter though! My other fanfic should be updated soon! (I update chapters back and forth between fanfics I hope that doesn't bother anyone lmao)


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